Taipei to Pingtan Cruise ship makes maiden voyage

A high-speed cruise liner made its inaugural voyage from Taipei to Pingtan county, Fujian province, on Tuesday. Equipped with four water-jet propulsion systems, the vessel can reach a speed of more than 40 knots. It sails at an average speed of 36 knots.

The cruise ship departed from Taipei at about 11a.m and arrived at Aoqian wharf in Pingtan County three hours later. The cruise ship is expected to make it more convenient for Taiwan residents to visit the mainland, as Taiwan people now have more choices when deciding when and how they travel to the mainland.

The 112-meter-long, 30-meter-wide ship has a maximum passenger capacity of 774, with room for 355 cars. The round trip between Pingtan and Taipei operates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The ticket price is 690 yuan ($110).